afloata‧float /əˈfləʊt $ əˈfloʊt/ adjective [not before noun] 
The Treasury borrowed £40 billion, just to stay afloat.2floating on waterkeep (somebody/something) afloat/stay afloat Somehow we kept the ship afloat.—afloat adverb
WORD ORIGINafloat
Origin:
Old English on flot ‘on the sea’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- I moved my hands and feet slightly to stay afloat.
- Those in the water tried to hold on to the boats that were still afloat.
- Hereford lived dangerously but by half time were still managing to keep afloat.
- In spite of my warnings about leaving the boat where it would stay afloat, the inevitable had happened and he was stranded.
- It was near low water now, and I had to get the dinghy afloat.
- The Chattahoochee was too shallow to keep barges afloat in the navigable waterway south of Atlanta.
- The Normandie, due on May 18, promises luxury afloat.
- The swimsuits and trunks have attached foam shoulders to help keep kids afloat.
Longman Language Activatorto be on the surface of water
to be supported on the surface of water by the water itself: · Ice is less dense than water, which is why it floats.float in the water: · Annie was floating on her back in the water.· They could see something pale and white floating in the water.float on water/the surface/the river etc: · a cup of coffee with black bits floating on the surfacefloat along/down etc: · The empty boat floated off down the river.
: be/stay/keep afloat to stay on the surface of water without sinking: · I moved my hands and feet slightly to stay afloat.· Those in the water tried to hold on to the boats that were still afloat.
to not owe any money if your bank account is in credit, there is money in it and you do not owe the bank anything: · I can see from my monthly bank statements whether I'm in credit or not.remain/stay in credit: · We offer free banking for customers whose accounts remain in credit.
if someone is in the black , they have earned more than they owe or have spent: · The newly reorganized company is now in the black.· Our oil and gas operations are comfortably in the black.get something into the black: · We have to get our account into the black otherwise the bank will never give us a mortgage.
informal to stay out of debt, although it is difficult to do this because you have very little money: · Although I've been out of a job for three months, I've managed to keep my head above water.· If I get this raise, we'll just about keep our heads above water until next year.
earning enough money to not have to borrow or get into debt: · We've been financially solvent for the last 5 years.· Companies need to know that those with whom they are trading are solvent and can pay for goods and services supplied to them
if a company or organization stays or remains afloat , it manages to keep operating because its debts are not so bad that it has to close; if you keep a company or organization afloat , you stop it from getting into so much debt that it has to close: · It was the summer of 1991, and I was struggling hard to keep my business afloat.· David Henry lent the company $1bn out of his own personal fortune in order to help it stay afloat.· The organization remains afloat by renting out its skilled technicians to other companies.
when something continues to exist in spite of difficulties · Many of the small, independent businesses are struggling to survive.· Only a few of Leonardo's earlier paintings still survive.· Our friendship has survived the bad times and has grown stronger.· The Cathedral survived repeated bombings during the Second World War.
to survive a period of great difficulty: · If we can come through this crisis, the company's future looks bright.· The German team were in deep trouble at the beginning of the match but in the end they came through.
if a company stays afloat , it continues to survive in spite of difficult financial problems that may force it to close: · Ever since we started the business two years ago, we've been struggling to stay afloat.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The Treasury borrowed £40 billion, just to stay afloat. Somehow we kept the ship afloat.
1having enough money to operate or stay out of debtkeep (somebody/something) afloat/stay afloat The Treasury borrowed £40 billion, just to stay afloat. Somehow we kept the ship afloat. The Treasury borrowed £40 billion, just to stay afloat.2floating on waterkeep (somebody/something) afloat/stay afloat Somehow we kept the ship afloat.—afloat adverb